Where HEIC photos cause trouble
HEIC is the file ending Apple uses for photos stored in the HEIF format and compressed with HEVC. It keeps good detail in roughly half the space of a JPG, which is why it is the default on iPhone. Outside Apple devices, support is patchy.
- Windows PCs show a blank icon unless the HEIF and HEVC extensions are installed.
- Job, school and visa portals often accept only JPG or PNG.
- Older photo editors and online print shops reject the file.
- Some email apps show an attachment with no preview.
You snap your passport page with an iPhone, AirDrop it to a Mac and upload it to an application form. The form says the format is not supported. Converting that IMG_4512.HEIC to JPG fixes it.
HEIC vs JPG at a glance
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Smaller | About twice as large at similar quality |
| Opens on Windows | Needs extensions | Yes, built in |
| Website uploads | Often rejected | Accepted almost everywhere |
| Best for | Storing photos on Apple devices | Sharing, printing, uploading |
Keep the HEIC originals in your library and use JPG copies for anything that leaves your Apple devices.
iPhone settings that avoid HEIC
To shoot JPG from now on, open Settings, then Apps, then Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible. On iOS 17 and older, Camera sits directly in Settings. New photos will be JPG, but they take more space on the phone.
If you copy photos to a computer by cable, go to Settings, then Apps, then Photos, and set Transfer to Mac or PC to Automatic. The iPhone then converts photos to JPG during the transfer. Neither setting changes photos you already took.
Editing the photos first? HEIC to PNG gives you a lossless copy. For a multi page document, use HEIC to PDF. If a JPG is still too big for a form, compress the JPG afterwards.